Friday, August 24, 2012
The repairs to the upper master antenna are complete and normal broadcast transmissions have been fully restored for WGBH 2 and WGBX 44, as well as the other stations that share the Needham transmission tower.
Viewers who watch our broadcast services over-the-air and are currently not able to receive WGBH 2 or WGBX 44, please try rescanning your channels and/or making minor adjustments to the position of your antenna, which should allow you to reacquire our signal if you are within our normal broadcast coverage area.
We know what a difficult time it’s been for our over-air and cable viewers who have been without WGBH since the antenna failure on April 8, and we’re sincerely grateful for everyone’s patience and support. Thank you!
August 22, 2012
The project to re-install the upper masterantenna has been progressing quickly. The repaired antenna was successfully re-installed atop the Needham transmission tower on Monday, August 20.
With the revised schedule, we now expect WGBH 2 to move back to its permanent home on the lower master antenna sometime on Wednesday, August 22. Work will continue on Wednesday and Thursday to install additional components, remove lifting equipment, and move WGBX 44, and commercial stations WBZ, WCVB, and WSBK, back to the repaired upper master antenna.
Then, during the early morning hours from about 1am to 5am on Friday, Aug. 24, there will be a full shutdown of all stations on the tower for final tuning and testing of the antenna and lines. Viewers who watch us over-the-air, as well as on some distant cable systems, will lose all television service from us during that overnight testing period.
It is our hope that during the day on Friday, August 24, normal broadcast transmissions will be fully and permanently restored.
We're grateful for your continued patience and support.
August 15, 2012
Work is again underway on the Needham transmission tower to prepare for the re-installation of the repaired upper master antenna.
Over the next two weeks, working at a height of over 1,000 feet, the crew will be rigging the tower and positioning lifting equipment, re-installing new lines and components, and hoisting and re-installing the 50 foot long, 16,000 pound refurbished upper antenna. Once the antenna is in place and operational, the crew will then remove the two temporary antennas and de-rig the tower.
The work schedule is dynamic and can change quickly because of many factors, including weather and how long each operation takes. To minimize the time on the tower and ensure they are prepared for the antenna’s arrival, the crew will take every opportunity to advance each stage of the work as quickly as possible. Because of this, when the crew has to reduce transmitting power and/or shutdown completely, there can be little to no notice.
Between August 15 and August 30, viewers should be aware that reception will have many periods of instability, particularly during the daytime hours when the crew is actively working on the tower. However, on Wednesday, August 15, WGBX 44 moved to an auxiliary antenna, which could affect reception for some viewers 24/7 until WGBX 44 moves back to the re-installed upper master antenna, currently planned for August 24-25.
WGBH 2 will mostly remain at its current power until the upper antenna is re-installed on August 21, though occasional power reductions during the day can be expected. The antenna hoist and re-installation work will necessitate all stations to reduce power on August 21. And by August 24, we expect WGBH 2 will move from its current position on the auxiliary antenna, back to its permanent home on the bottom master antenna.
We’re sincerely grateful for the patience and understanding of all of our viewers who have been affected by the antenna failure.
August 14, 2012
As of 12:30pm on Tuesday, August 14, WGBH 2 is operating at about 35% power on the standby antenna to help protect the tower crew from exposure to dangerous RF radiation while they rig the tower for the return and hoist of the repaired upper master antenna. Channel 2 should go back to full power on the standby antenna by about 6pm on Tuesday evening.
August 6, 2012
July 2, 2012
Inspection of the shared upper master antenna revealed that the damage was so extensive that it requires a complete refurbishment, which is approximately a ten-week project.
We anticipate that the antenna will ship back from the factory to the tower site about the middle of August. Re-installation and testing may then extend into September.
We understand that this is a very frustrating situation for all of the viewers who rely on our over-air signal, and we sincerely appreciate everyone's continued patience and understanding.
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